Brain's Biggest Blunder (My Version)
by TimmyTurnerFan
Summary: This is a rewrite of the actual TV ARTHUR episode "Brain's Biggest Blunder." Most of this is the same except some things were added for a little more drama. Please see Author's notes for further information. This is one of my few stories with Prunella in it as I don't really like her (no offense to you who do.)
1. Introduction

**Author's Notes:**

**-Disclaimer: **I absolutely do not own ARTHUR, the show or the characters within. ARTHUR belongs to Marc Brown, W.G.B.H., 9 Story, and other rightful owners.

-**Additional Information: **This is just my rewrite of the actual ARTHUR episode "Brain's Biggest Blunder." It's pretty much the same story as shown on the real episode so this is pretty much a repeat of the episode, however, I added some parts to it to make it a little more dramatic, and maybe a little funnier, maybe. Otherwise, what's the point of writing and posting this fanfic?

-**Advice:** If you haven't watched the actual episode, I'd watch that episode first before reading this, this is a huge spoiler. But if you want to read this before watching the episode, be my guest.

**Story:**

**Introduction**

Alan (Brain) Powers, standing in his kitchen, narrates: "Contrary to popular belief, I don't take getting As for granted. My mom puts them on the refrigerator just like other kids."

Mrs. Powers puts yet another A on the refrigerator along with the barrage of As her 8-year-old prodigy has gotten.

But then we leave the kitchen for a moment and we're seeing this blue cave-like area. A sound is made along with Brain going, "Uh!" as a wall to the cave is pulled back, exposing a pink wall, that being in the kitchen. Then back in the kitchen, Brain shoves the refrigerator through the entrance of the cave on a dolly and Mrs. Powers does follow him for a bit but then stops.

"And just like other kids," Brain goes on to say, "all the refrigerators are kept in my secret warehouse, where they are hermetically sealed."

Wait a minute, just what does Brain mean by secret warehouse? How does he have that in his house? And what does the Power's family do with the food in the refrigerators shoved in the so-called "secret warehouse?" Hopefully they quickly transfer the food and not forget it's there lest it goes bad.

"Uh, TimmyTurnerFan," says Brain, "do you mind? I'm trying to narrate here!"

Oh sorry, go ahead Brain.

"Ahem," Brain Resumes, "so anyway, sealed and stored in chronological order. And by the way for those of you who don't know, hermetic means 'AIR TIGHT.' 'Hermetically' is an adverb because of the l and the y, or in this case the a-l-l-y.

"So as you can see, just because I never make a mistake doesn't mean…"

All of a sudden, Brain is interrupted by a roaring and shaking of bars. The camera is turned from Brain to a strange looking creature with rabbit ears in a cage and in a silhouette. Oh my goodness what on earth is that freaky thing?

"Hey! Nothing to see behind that sheet! Brain claims and pleads." No! Please don't look, it's my only failure!"

Your only failure, Brain? And you never make mistakes? Oh please! Everybody makes mistakes.

"TimmyTurnerFan…!" Brain says annoyingly.

Okay, okay, let's just start the show.

**Brain's Biggest Blunder**

**A/N:** So before we go on, what do you think so far. The intro was pretty much rewritten but I added a few parts. I know this isn't the most dramatic part of the story but please have patience, it is coming.


	2. Ratburn's Class

**Chapter 1**

We are now in Mr. Ratburn's class. Mr. Ratburn draws a number 24 and a horizontal line a ways underneath it on the chalk board. Then he turns to Buster.

"Buster," he says, "can you please come up to the black board and answer this next math question?"

Technically it's a green board.

"Uh, Mr. Ratburn," says Buster, "I'd rather not. Can I please pass on this one and somebody else do it?"

"No Buster," says Mr. Ratburn, "you may not pass on this one. Now please, step up to the chalkboard."

"Awww," Buster groans, "alright."

Buster leaves Arthur's side and walks up to the chalkboard as Mr. Ratburn sits at his desk and picks up a brown book.

When Buster is at the board, Mr. Ratburn reads a math problem from the brown book, saying, "Obadiah makes twenty-four pairs of shoes.. He makes three kinds of shoes: clogs, sandals, and pumps in equal quantity. How many pairs of clogs will he make?"

Befuddled by this complicated math problem, at least it's complicated to him, Buster freezes up and shivers nervously and hesitates to answer the question.

"I'll repeat the question," says Mr. Ratburn, "Obadiah makes twenty four pairs of shoes. He makes three kinds of shoes: clogs, sandals, and pumps in equal quantity. How many pairs of clogs will he make?"

Still hesitating, "Buster turns to Ratburn and asks, "Can Obadiah make sneakers?"

But Mr. Ratburn, rolling his eyes upward and back to Buster, replies, "That is irrelevant. Now concentrate."

Buster stalls for a few seconds.

"What color are the shoes?" Buster asks Mr. Ratburn.

The whole class groans.

"Buster!" Mr. Ratburn yells, causing Buster to get startled and quickly turn back to the chalkboard.

Buster then closes his eyes and puts his tongue on his upper lip. Then he imagines a dancing octopus wearing eight different kinds of shoes on each tentacle. The octopus smiles as he's dancing but then the smile disappears when he stumbles and hits his head.

Buster's imagination is interrupted when Mr. Ratburn says, "Well?"

Buster's eyes are ajar again accidentally says "Octopus!"

Then Buster, realizing he said a wrong word, he turns to Ratburn and says, "I mean, 52?"

Seeing how although Buster said a number, he still said the wrong answer, Mr. Ratburn sighs and calls on Brain.

Brain, reading his blue book "STRING THEORY for GENIUSES" answers "Eight."

Ratburn tells Brain, "That is correct."

Buster then walks back to his desk ashamed and possibly embarrassed and who knows what.

Ratburn says to the back of Buster, "Buster, you might want to review division before the upcoming Arithmattack Competition."

After Buster sits down, Arthur whispers in his ear, "Or as I'd like to call it, the 'Brain Wins Again," competition.'"

This makes Buster smile.

Mr. Ratburn walks front and center saying to the class, "This year we'll be doing something a little different. Instead of competing individually, you will be in randomly selected teams."

On hearing this, Brain takes his eyes off his book and looks up at Mr. Ratburn.

Holding up a card, Mr. Ratburn says, "And the first team is, Brain, Binky, and Buster."

Brain gasps. Buster gasps too and Arthur as well as Binky look at him.

**A/N** I was going to have Brain and Buster negotiate with Mr. Ratburn about them being on each other's team, only I couldn't think of anything good to say and decided against it.


	3. Lunchtime

**Chapter 2**

Arthur, after taking one bite of his sandwich, says to Buster, who is sitting across the table from him, says, "So are you nervous? It's going to be tough being on Brain's team. He could lose this year."

Buster says, "Brain doesn't care about a silly math award."

Then Prunella's voice can be heard, "You may have beaten me twice before…"

Prunella is seen talking to Brain and she continues, "…but this year, you're facing The Wizardly Order of the 4th grade. Prepare to be divided and conquered."

Brain replies to her, "Over my dead calculator!"

Buster gasps.

Brain goes on saying to Prunella, "Brain's Binomials are going to turn your team into a null set."

Brain then walks to Arthur and Buster's table and says to them, "Hi guys."

Then he looks at Buster and ask him, "Buster, why are you buttering your hand?"

Buster, obviously buttering his hand, says "Huh?"

Then looks down at his buttered hand and says "Oh." Then chuckles nervously and licks the butter off his hand.

Brain sits down next to Arthur and laments, "That Prunella thinks she's got this contest in the bag. Well, we'll just see about that!"

"We will?" Buster asks Brain. "I don't know if you've noticed this, Brain, but I'm terrible at math."

"Don't worry," Brain reassures him, "I'll tutor you after school."

"Okay," Buster quickly agrees, "thanks Brain. I think what gives me the most trouble is…"

But Brain interrupts Buster, saying "There are lots of study techniques I've been dying to try out, like the Number Cruncher. It's a new fusion of sit-ups and arithmetic. Buster gulps, still buttering his hand.


	4. Brain's Attempt at Tutoring

**Chapter 3**

Brain and Buster are now in Brain's room. Buster is holding a big clear cup of a green putrid looking substance.

"Okay Buster," says Brain, "first off, drink this algae and fish-oil smoothie. It's brain food."

Buster does just so. How can anyone drink that? Then again, almost nothing is too disgusting for Buster, he ate a French Vanilla and fresh fish ice cream called the "dolce de pescados" for goodness sake!

Anyway, Brain goes on to say, "Since this is our first study session together, I thought we'd go easy: Just five hours."

Buster sputters as he's drinking his putrid smoothie.

"Five hours?" Buster asks with a not so good feeling.

"Don't worry," Brain reassures him, "we'll study in short bursts and you'll get a bathroom break at hour four."

Brain adds, "You might want to slow down with that smoothie.

"Now, which do you have the most trouble with? Word problems, graphs, sequencing?"

Buster just answers "Yes."

"I see we'll need to start at the beginning," says Brain.

"Good," says Buster, "because what really gives me the most trouble is…"

Buster is stopped again, this time by Brain thudding down a big red book on a table.

Brain reads the title "'History of Math from A Squared to Infinity!' It's pretty riveting. Did you know the Babylonians may have used the Pythagorean Theorem thousands of years before the Greeks?"

Buster, holding his hand out, asks, "You want me to study for a math contest by reading a history book?"

Brain laughs and answers, "Of course not. I also want you to do twenty other exercises. Let's get cracking."

And on goes the tutoring. First Brain sets his stop watch and has Buster read a book, possibly fast. Brain turns the pages for Buster, who goes from holding his head up with just one hand and his elbow on the table to using both hands and both elbows. Then Brain shows Buster a list of multiplication problems, including twelve times thirty-four, on a sheet of paper. Seriously, Brain? Twelve times thirty-four? Buster is going to kill you! Anywaisy, Brain next shows Buster sheets of math problems one showing seven times two plus one, nine divided by three equals three over one, XR equals 12, and X=2, and having Buster do push-ups. Finally Brain has Buster do math problems while doing sit-ups! Whoa, Brain, what kind of tutor are you? And Buster of course has his bathroom break at hour four like Brain said he would, but it takes him three minutes! All from drinking a lot of that smoothie!

Later that evening, Buster is standing outside Brain's house, holding a stack of books.

"Nice study session, Buster," says Brain.

Then Brain warns him, "But tomorrow, I'm not going to take it so easy on you."

Buster groans, not looking forward to the next study session. He walks off of the Power's property, saying, "Pie equals 3.14159…"

As a cat couple is walking passed Brain's house, Brain says to himself out loud as he watches Buster leave, "There's a mathematician somewhere inside that boy. And I'm going to find it."

Brain then fantasizes himself at an award show called Lifetime Achievement Award at the Worldwide Academy of Mathematics auditorium. There are two huge gold trophies, one saying "E=," the other saying "MC2."

An old tan male bear in glasses stands behind a podium with an M on it, announcing "The Lifetime Achievement Award for Mathematics goes to…Brain."

"Brain, dressed formally in black, walks center-stage and goes behind the podium after the announcer steps back from it.

"Thank you, professor," he says to him.

Then Brain says to the audience, "But all my awards mean nothing compared to my greatest accomplishment: my pupil, Buster Baxter."

The curtains behind Brain open up, revealing Buster, also dressed formally, only in brown, with his eyes closed, a smile and his hands behind his back, and bowing his head a little before raising it upright again.

Brain continues, "Behold as he takes on Robocount…"

Buster opens his eyes and looks to his right as a big robot walks on the stage.

"…the world's most sophisticated supercomputer," Brain continues.

Brain then commands Buster and Robocount, "Calculate the circumference of the universe."

The robot sits on a rock and tries to think of an answer while Buster, standing up, bending one knee a little, writes down the answer on a piece of paper on a clipboard. Brain walks up to Buster and when Buster finishes, he shouts "Done!" holding up the clipboard. Robocount quickly stands up. When Buster hands the clipboard over to Brain, Brain reads Buster's answer and then turns to the audience, raises the clipboard, and shouts "He's correct!"

Then Robocount has trouble standing up, arcs or sparks, shorts out, beeps angrily, and falls backwards, causing a crash and then smoking a little.

Ending his fantasy, Brain laughs and says to himself, "Oh Brain, you're a pedagogical genius."


	5. The Arithmattack Contest

**Chapter 4**

At Lakewood Elementary School, the Arithmattack Competition is going on. In the school auditorium, Prunella is standing up at a table with Rattles sitting on one side of her and Molly sitting on the other.

Prunella says "The answer is…five and a third?" she asks.

A second later there's a "ding."

Following that "ding," Mr. Ratburn says to Prunella, "That is correct."

Mr. Ratburn goes on to say, "The Wizardly Order of the fourth grade wins and makes it through to the finals on Monday. Arthur, Francine, and Muffy frown at hearing this.

"Booyah!" says an excited Prunella with Rattles and Molly celebrating their victory quietly, as the crowd cheers.

"Brain's Binomials," Mr. Ratburn continues as Brain, Binky, and Buster, who is dressed like Brain, sit down where Arthur, Francine, and Muffy were.

"And Steve's Square Roots," Ratburn says as Steve the gray bunny in glasses sits down next to Nancy, a blond female rabbit in a pink shirt, and on the other side of Nancy is Jack Weasel, who looks like a brown or orange mouse, but is actually a weasel with darker brown hair.

Later Steve says, "Uh, 31?"

But a buzz goes off.

"I'm sorry," says Mr. Ratburn, "but that is incorrect."

The crowd sighs as Steve sits back down holding his head on his hand in shame. Nancy comforts him.

Mr. Ratburn goes on to say, "The next question goes to…Buster."

Buster, possibly surprised, well, obviously not expecting it to be his turn, goes, "Huh?" then gulps and pulls on his collar.

Brain then tells Buster, "Just remember what we worked on."

Binky, sitting on the other side of Brain, is eating an apple as Mr. Ratburn reads, "Joey gets his allowance everyday. On Monday, he gets two cents, on Tuesday…"

Then there's an echoed voice going "Blah blah blah…" that only Buster can hear.

Next, numbers with wings and antennas come popping and buzzing from behind Buster's head flying and sounding like bugs, starting with 2, then 8, next, 1, then 4, and last, 3. Of course, Buster is just hallucinating, but whether he is or not, he swats at the number bugs.

"Buster," says Mr. Ratburn, "are you all right?"

"Yes," fine," Buster answers. "The answer is…"

Buster looks out at and scans the audience from his left to his right and sees Molly, Rattles, Maria, Francine, Prunella, George, Jenna, Muffy, Ladonna, Fern, Alex, Slink, and a kid who looks remarkably like Carl, only without glasses, unless that is Carl.

Then Buster answers "3.14159265."

Unfortunately there's a buzz for him too.

"I'm sorry," says Mr. Ratburn. "That is incorrect."

Brain gasps, the audience groans, and Buster drops his face to the table with a sigh.

Mr. Ratburn says, "Brain's Binomials are not disqualified yet. They still have a chance if Binky get the next one right."

Ratburn says to Binky, nearly finished with his apple, "Binky, are you ready?"

"Huh?" says Binky, "Me already?"

Binky passes the apple core to Brain, saying "Hold this."

Mr. Ratburn asks Binky, "What is the square root of forty-nine?"

Binky first has his hand on his cheek. Then he spreads his arms out then folds them and spins around like he's ballet dancing. And then he stops and spreads his arms again.

Finally, Binky calls out "Seven."

There's a ding and Mr. Ratburn announces with a smile, "That is correct!"

There's an applause and Binky takes a bow to the audience.

Mr. Ratburn goes on to say, "Brain's Binomials wins the round and will face the Wizardly Order in the Finals on Monday."

"You did it!" Brain says to Binky. "That was amazing."

Then remembering he had Binky apple, he hands it back to Binky, saying, "Oh… here."

But Binky says, "Ehh, keep it."

When Brain turns to see Buster, Buster has disappeared. He must have run away, or snuck away, or hid under the table. Ehh, Brain probably would have looked under and seen him.


	6. Lunchtime Again

**Chapter 5**

**A/N** This is where things start to get dramatic.

We are now in the cafeteria.

"Arthur," says Buster, "if you see Brain, I'm not here."

"Buster," says Arthur, "I can't lie to Brain."

"Just do it!" Buster insists.

Buster then ducks, taking his lunch with him. Shortly Prunella, Molly, and Rattles stand with their arms folded at Brain.

Prunella taunts Brain, saying "You're going to lose so bad, you won't know your prime numbers from your integers!"

"Oh yeah," replies Brain, holding a pitcher of ice water. "I hope you're good at adding negative numbers, because that's what your score is going to be!"

Ohhh, what competition does to you…

So anywho, Brain turns and walks away from Prunella, Molly, and Rattles. He then goes to Arthur, who is sitting at a table, and asks him, "Have you seen Buster?"

"Ummm," Arthur starts answering.

Then, fiddling with his glasses, he lyingly tells Brain, "I think he had a dentist appointment."

Brain starts to look suspicious at Arthur.

"Arthur," he asks, "You're fiddling with your glasses. Is there something you're not telling me? Seriously, where's Buster?"

"Uh," says Arthur.

But before he could say anything, a white hand in an aqua-green sleeve appears near Arthur and a voice from under the table says, "Can I have some salt please?"

Brain gets down on his hands and knees behind Arthur and sees Buster.

Brain asks Buster, "What are you doing under the table?"

"Oh," Buster says, and then lyingly answers, "I, uh, I misplaced my lunch."

Buster looks at his lunch and says, "Here it is!"

He then waves his finger saying, "Sneaky Lasagna!"

"You don't have to hide from me," says Brain as he stands up one knee at a time. "I'm not upset you got the question wrong?"

"You're not?" asks Buster.

"No," Brain answers. "It's my fault; I haven't been pushing you hard enough."

"If you push me any harder," says Buster, "my head will explode. Buster holds both sides of his head as he says this.

Brain pours a glass of water from the pitcher and says, "Here, we're going to try some mistake-aversion therapy. Every time you get a question wrong, I dump a glass of water on your head."

Buster gasps after hearing Brain, who lifts up the glass of water.

Buster raises both of his hands and tries to tell Brain, "You're missing the point. What really gives me trouble is…"

"But unfortunately Buster is once again interjected by Brain, who asks him, "What is Fifty-two divided by four?"

"You're not listening!" Buster tells Brain. "What really gives me trouble is…"

But Brain interjects Buster one more time, insisting, "Just answer the question. What's fifty-two divided by four?"

Buster says, "I don't know! Twelve?"

And just like that, seeing that that was the incorrect answer, Brain pours the glass of cold water on Buster's head just as he said he would. As Buster sputters, some students that are nearby are starting to notice what's going on.

Finally, Buster gets fed up and flares up at Brain.

"Brain, you may be the two-time Arithmattack Champion," he yells at Brain, then he points a finger at Brain and shouts angrily, "but you're a TERRIBLE TUTOR!"

Then more students stare at Brain and Buster.

And just when you think he's done grilling Brain, Buster first says "Brain Powers…"

And then Buster screams, "YOU'RE **FIRED**!"

At hearing this, Brain, with his left hand still on the cup that had the water in it, leans back a little and holds up both his hands, his free-hand up at Buster but near himself. Brain is shocked and taken aback by what Buster had just said to him and how he said it to him and his eyes and mouth open wider after he's told he's fired.

Then Buster grabs his lunch tray off the table, says to Brain, "Good day too you!"

Then he says, "If anyone, except Brain, needs me, I'll be eating my lunch outside!"

And Buster walks around and walks passed Brain, who watches Buster walk away. Brain puts his free hand on his chest and puts down the empty glass of water and feels hurt.

"You okay, Brain?" Arthur asks him.

Brain doesn't answer.

"Brain?" Arthur tries again.

"I think I want to be alone," Brain answers.

And Brain walks off sad, hurt, humiliated, and about to be in tears. Yes, Buster made Brain cry!


	7. The Nightmare

**Chapter 6**

Later that afternoon, Brain goes home still hurt and upset by what Buster said to him and Buster goes home still angry at Brain. When Brain goes into his house, his parents see him.

Mrs. Powers asks Brain, "How was school, Alan?"

Brain stops and looks at his parents with a sad face.

Mr. Powers asks, "Alan, what's wrong?"

Brain sighs and looks down with a frown saying, "I'd rather not talk about it."

Then he walks to his room. His parents look at each other.

Meanwhile after Buster heads inside his condo, Bitzi asks "How was your day, Sweetie?"

Buster stops and shows a glare to his mother. The glare isn't directed toward her, as he's not mad at her.

"Horrible!" he answers.

And he angrily walks up to his room and shuts his door. Bitzi wonders what's wrong with Buster.

That night, Brain is asleep in his bed and has a glass of water next to him. He then starts dreaming he's at the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Worldwide Academy of Mathematics he fantasized about earlier.

He's standing behind the podium on stage next to the old professor, saying to him, "Thank you Professor! But all my awards mean nothing compared to my greatest accomplishment: My pupil, Buster Baxter.

But instead of a kind, formally dressed little rabbit, Buster is a giant, hideous, angry, roaring monster rabbit, still white though. And Buster is wearing his usual clothes, only he mostly outgrew them and they're torn at the bottoms. Robocount, the robot, is standing next to Buster, who is bigger and stronger than the robot. The audience gasps.

Undaunted, Brain walks up to Buster and says, "Alright Buster, I'd like you to calculate…"

But giant monster Buster, talking in a hideously deep voice, interrupts Brain saying "Calculate? Buster no calculate! Buster no like numbers!"

Then he turns and lifts up Robocount and as Brain drops his award on the floor as he sees Buster getting ready to wreak havoc. Buster then tosses, or rather, hurls Robocount toward the audience as Brain watches and the audience screams.

Is it over yet? Not quite. Buster then stumps over to Brain looking down at him. Brain's mouth is still hanging wide open.

"Brain next!" says Monster Buster.

"No," says Brain. "Buster, please. I'm begging you."

Brain then bows his head, puts his hands on the back of his bowed head, closes his eyes and says in a higher, almost girly voice, "Don't hurt me!"

"Too late!" says the Monster Buster. "Brain terrible tutor!"

And Buster bends down and picks Brain up with one hand and Brain opens his eyes as the Buster-monstrosity holds Brain over his head with both of his hands.

"Buster, please no!" says Brain. "I'm sorry! In fact, I'm sorry I dumped water on you!"

Then Brain closes his eyes again and screams "HELLLLLP!"

Monster Buster then hurls Brain over the audience and Brain is screaming as he heads for his doom.

When the dream ends, Brain wakes up, opens his eyes, quickly sits up and briefly screams, "Ahh!"

Brain then asks himself out loud, "What have I done?"

Then he grabs the glass of water next to his bed and poors it on himself, afterwards letting out an "uhh!"

Then a couple seconds later, he says to himself, "This must be how Buster feels."

Is Brain scared of Buster now?

**A/N **By the way, expect no more drama for the rest of this story.


	8. Binky has a Word with Buster

**Chapter**** 7**

**(A/N)** **There is no drama in this chapter but I did add in a few more sentences than what was in the real episode.**

One morning, possibly the next morning, the doorbell rings. Buster goes and answers it only to find Binky at his door and gasps.

"Binky?" Buster asks.

"We're going for a walk!" Binky orders Buster, who gulps thereafter.

Buster goes into the dining room where Bitsi is as she's drinking a mug of a warm drink and reading the paper.

"Mom," says Buster, "tell Arthur he can have my Dark Bunny Remote-Control Buggy."

Then Buster walks away as his mother looks at him and gets this shocked, or puzzled, look on her face. Buster thinks he's down to the last minutes of his life, but is he really? What's Binky got in store for Buster?

Binky takes Buster to the Lakewood Elementary Playground jungle gym.

"You know why I brought you here?" asks Binky to Buster.

"Do I want to know?" asks Buster. "Let me guess, you're going to tie me into a pretzel are you?"

"What?" asks Binky. "No silly, goodness no! I gave up bullying, remember?"

"Oh," says Buster, "sorry. It's just, when you came to my door, you looked like you had murder in your eyes."

"Anyway," says Binky, "last year I had a lot of trouble with math too. Sometimes I would be in such a daze I'd bang my head on this jungle gym."

Binky points to the dent he left on the jungle gym and Buster sees it.

"Huh," goes Buster, "I always wondered how that got there."

"Brain's tutoring hasn't worked out for you so far has it?" asks Binky.

"He's tried his best," says Buster, "but what he just doesn't understand that what really gives me the most trouble is…"

"Your multiplication tables," Binky interrupts.

"Man, I can't seem to finish that sentence!" says Buster.

"Trust me, Bucko," says Binky, "you're not always going to finish your sentences."

"I'll say," says Buster. "Anyway, how did you know?"

Binky answers, "Because I've been there."

Binky then asks, "Want to know how I finally figured them out?"

Buster listens.

Binky says, "One day I was at home watching T.V. (Binky has a flashback on watching TV in his home.) It was ballet. An Italian troop called 'I Piedi Grandi.'They weren't very good, but there was nothing else on, so I continued watching and I started counting them, and that's when it hit me! There were two rows of them and four dancers in each row. So two times four was eight. (Binky writes the math problem and then the flashback ends.) So now instead of thinking about numbers when Mr. Ratburn gives me a problem, I imagine little dancers."

Buster replies, "But I'm not into dance. The only dance I know is the Hokey Pokey."

Binky says, "You've got to find out what works for you, Buster."

Buster says, "I like cake."

"Okay, it's a little strange," says Binky, pulling out a notepad. "Let's say you have three cakes and they have three layers. I want you to imagine them."

And that's just what Buster does.

"I can see them right in front of me," he says as he imagines them. There are three cakes with three layers on them, just as Binky directs him to imagine.

"Look at all those layers," Buster says enthusiastically.

Binky nods his head.


	9. The Finals of the Arithmattack Contest

**Chapter 8**

**(A/N): There is no drama in this chapter.**

Back in the Lakewood Elementary School auditorium, Mr. Ratburn is behind the podium and on his right is "The Wizardly Order" and on his left is "Brain's Binomials." Looks like Brain isn't scared of Buster after all despite his nightmare and being spat at by Buster many, many hours earlier.

(**A/N): When I say "Spat at," I mean "Yelled at," or "Buster yelled at or quarreled with Brain when he 'spat' at him."**

This time Buster is dressed as himself.

"The score is tied," says Mr. Ratburn, "this year's Arithmatack award will be decided by this final question And the question goes to, Buster Baxter."

At hearing this, Prunnella, Rattles, and Molly High-5 each other because they are sure that Buster, without the shadow of a doubt, is going to get this one wrong too. Meanwhile, Buster stand up but Brain worries and has doubt and puts his elbow on the table and holds his hand to his cheek.

But Binky assures Brain, "Don't worry, I tutored him real good."

"Okay, Buster," says Mr. Ratburn. "This is a multiplication question. What is twelve times three?"

Buster closes his eyes for a second or so and suddenly he imagines three cakes with twelve layers on them. He even holds a spoon and pretends to eat one. Of course the spoon is imaginary too.

"Ah!" says Buster. "Is it…36?"

Mr. Ratburn says, "That is correct!" with a smile. There's also a ding sound.

A loud applause ensues. The Wizardly order is disappointed they lost. Molly has both of her elbows on the table and is covering her eyes with her head down and Prunella and Rattles are just sitting, or standing, there looking. In the meantime, as Brain and Binky give each other fives, Buster and Mr. Ratburn shake hands. Brain feels better and raises his arms up in cheer.

Later, in the school yard, Brain asks Buster, "How could Binky have been a better tutor than me? Mat is one of my best subjects."

"I needed someone who struggled," explains Buster, "like me."

Brain doesn't say anything.

"By the way," says Buster, "I'm sorry I screamed at you and about what I said to you and if I hurt and embarrassed you the other day."

"That's okay, Buster," says Brain, "You were right, and I deserved that."

"But if you want," Buster offers, "I can teach you how to be a better tutor."

"Really," Brain asks.

"Sure," answers Buster. "There's some new techniques I've been dying to try out, like the Tutor Rooter.

"First, we scrub your ears with vinegar. Then you clean my room…"

Is that really going to work? And how is Brain going to feel about Buster scrubbing his ears out with vinegar? And does Brain really want to clean Buster's room, though Arthur did at least once?

Brain and Buster are crazy!

The End

…or is it?

**A/N I enjoyed rewriting this episode, though most of this was pretty much the same as the actual episode, only I added a little more quotes and more drama to it. One more episode I plan to rewrite and add more drama to is "Brother, Can You Spare A Clarinet." I don't know if I'm going to rewrite the whole episode or just parts of it. What do you think I should do? I don't know when I'm going to get around to writing that or if I will ever write it, or rather, rewrite it.)**


End file.
